DAHLONEGA – No. 11 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball freshman catcher Carleigh Knowles was announced as a finalist for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division II Freshman of the Year award Wednesday afternoon.

The NFCA named one freshman from each region to the list of finalists Wednesday, making Knowles the top freshman in the Southeast Region this season. 

Knowles has been more than simply one of the best freshmen in the country, more accurately she's been one of the best players nationally this season. 

The Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year currently leads all of NCAA DII in home runs with 21 after breaking the UNG single season home run record. She also ranks eighth in the country in slugging percentage and third in total bases. On top of that, the rookie ranks sixth nationally in RBIs and 16th in runs scored. 

She is one of just two players in the country to rank in the top 10 nationally in homers, RBIs, runs, slugging and total bases. She's the only player in the Southeast Region to accomplish such a feat.

The accolades have come rolling in this season for Knowles as she has earned three first team selections. The first came when she was named to the PBC All-Conference First Team. That honor was followed by First Team All-Region selections from the NFCA & Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA).  

Knowles has already been once named the NFCA National Player of the Week and was named to the NFCA National Player of the Year Watch list earlier this season. 

The two-time PBC Freshman of the Week and three-time PBC Player of the Week made history this year as the first player in PBC history to win the Player of the Week award three times and Freshman of the Week award twice in one season.

Knowles and the Nighthawks take the field for the first game of the 2025 NCAA Southeast Super Regional this week. First pitch is set for Thursday, May 15 at 1 p.m. in Florence, S.C. against No. 2 and top-seeded Francis Marion.